School Bus Driver

School Bus Driver

The Bus Driver

15 Years Experience

South, ..

Female, 37

I have been a bus driver since late 2006. I know the inside story, the scoop, the down low dirt of what it takes to be a bus driver, how to handle kids and adults, and how to survive on the "streets" so to speak. I used to have a blog, feel free to browse it or ask me a question here.

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1007 Questions

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Last Answer on February 07, 2021

Best Rated

What do you think of this 4 hour round trip bus route? https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Up-at-5-and-Ready-for-the-Ride-Longest-school-3037329.php

Asked by Rob over 5 years ago

Someone's gotta do it. It's either that or the district offers remote learning options for the teenagers and not everyone succeeds that way.

What are things that delay buses the most? I would assume weather, maintenance, trains, traffic, wrecks, no sub, bus driver late for work, having to pick up other passengers on other routes, etc. What do you think is the most and did I miss any?

Asked by YOUR BFF LOL over 5 years ago

Weather, traffic, and trains are my top three followed by shortage of staff issues. It's no secret that there's been a bus driver shortage lately mainly due to the behavior of the kids and the low pay offered to put up with the behavior issues. Rarely a maintenance issue pops up, but it does happen. Even the most "on time" bus driver can be late.

Would my district change the write up system from the drivers would choose how many days off the bus change to it has to got through a administrator who may or may not do anything and could even go all out and give a extreme punishment. I know some drivers have abused the system or not used it at all but how is this better?

Asked by 933738292 almost 6 years ago

I wish we had this system. It would cut out the middle man, though I think that some oversight is needed if a driver does abuse it, like if a child has been written up more than 3 times and kicked off the bus, then future issues need to be handled through administration and driver collaboration. The problem facing drivers is that parents refuse to see their child could be a problem.

Well bad. I heard she goes on rants, raves, and tirades and that she is really mean. That she has broken things and there are roomers of her putting her hands on people. Any advice thanks. Sorry for making it two questions I wanted to tell the story.

Asked by Ryan almost 6 years ago

If she does put her hands on people, that's not okay. But consider your actions on the bus and try to get the other kids on your bus to stop acting out. Being mean for the sake of being mean is one thing but being mean but also being fair is another. If she holds everyone to the same standards then you may find you actually like her.

How do you control kids when their being difficult? What kinds of disciplinary actions do you usually take

Asked by ****** over 5 years ago

I use a variety of positive reinforcement tactics. For most kids, a routine is best so assigning them a seat on the bus and a seatmate they're friends with alleviates 90 percent of behavior issues. The other 10 percent, I use positive rewards for good behavior and largely ignore the bad behavior. Sometimes with a difficult child, I assign them a "job" like making sure everyone is awake. Now occasionally even this method doesn't work and I do have to resort to writing a child up and turning them into the school but that is a last resort.

Does it help a driver to have any kind of degree before or while your driving a Bus?

Asked by Jason over 5 years ago

Highschool diploma and cdl certification is standard. Anything else is bonus and more than welcome.

My question is I know some buses come as early as 5:30 or so. But are they ever earlier then that? Do you think there are any school buses that come closer to 5:00 or even four something?

Asked by Nixon over 5 years ago

It depends on the district. Most districts have rules about when and how early to pick up students.